weed spraying

[dartag]

fished pontiac lake yesterday and could not believe the weed condition.  there were 2 harvesters out and there is hardly a weed to be found.  The lilly pads are dead about 15 feet back from the edges.  There were 2 willow trees that I had caught fish off last week that the hanging branches were dead 2 feet up from the water.  It did not seem to hurt the fishing.  caught quite a few nice bass in deeper water.  Donated hooks and jigs to a lot of pike also.

Any idea what they spray in the water.  It sure is powerful. 

[Durand Dan]

SONAR is an Auqacide that covers a wide range of weed growth and anything else that touches it. Sounds like the applicator either miscalulated or figured more is better.

[Bender]

I thought that during the application for a permit to spray process they had to specify the areas where they were going to spray? I wonder why they sprayed the pads? I have heard that if there are any objections to spraying they will be heard before a permit is issued but it seems like a process that happens in some back room.

I know when I lived there I never heard about any sprays coming before they happened otherwise I would have done something. Is there someplace that the permit applications are posted for review by the affected people?

[Durand Dan]

This is the permit application database. However you can just access permits that have already been registered. Most of the time the Lake association will have a comment period open to the public prior to issue. Finding out about those meetings is the problem.

http://www.deq.state.mi.us/ancpa/aquatics.asp

This link will supply most of info on applications.

http://www.michigan.gov/deq/0,1607,7-135-3313_3681_3710-134667--,00.html

[dartag]

I have seen the boat around town.  a little boston whaler with a pump and tank onboard.  there were signs at Maceday last year when they sprayed.  didn't see one at the DNR launch yesterday.  they are serious about weeds on pontiac.  they have 3 weed harvesters on the lake.  looked erie in the back bays.

Glad i live on a lake where there are no weeds.  just a ton of powerboats.

[Bender]

"Unlike other sections of NREPA, Part 33 does not contain a provision for a public
hearing regarding a permitting decision."

From your link Dan. Basically you can't do anything about it.   

[djkimmel]

When the MDNRE was originally split, part of the reason Engler did that was so people could get away with more action against our resources faster, cheaper and with little or no public input. The old MDNR wouldn't even allow SONAR because it is dangerous. The DEQ started to allow it a little. And then a LOT.

Many things changed for the worse. It is kind of a situation where they put the fox in charge of the hen house.

A few lake 'management' companies I've talked to are ethical, but a few seem to be of the mindset that they provide all the chemical whomever will pay for and spray it over whatever the 'client' wants it sprayed on. And there is little or no oversight. What happens when there is no oversight?

The guy with the little boat and I have 'debated' a couple times. He feels that his part of lake 'rehabilitation' is to just kill all the 'bad' weeds. Someone else (who?) has to 'put back' the good weeds.

That may be somewhat true, but how many times have any of us seen that? Someone putting back good weeds.

Part of the problem is that lake associations have a great deal of power. Probably too much. Part of the problem is that more people aren't involved that want more than just a swimming pool from a lake.

A lake is not a swimming pool.

Remember, laws and regulations can be changed.

[dartag]

"  A lake is not a swimming pool.  "

as someone who has lived on a lake for 26 years i have seen many people who move on the lake and think it should be a pool.   THey think weeds are bad for a lake.
 

[djkimmel]

That is definitely one of the key problems. Maybe we should just figure out how to convert all lake association members to dedicated angler status?

[dartag]

That is definitely one of the key problems. Maybe we should just figure out how to convert all lake association members to dedicated angler status?

Doubt that will happen.  Pontiac is the only lake i have seen with " No Fishing " or " No Casting " signs on ends of docks.  guess they don't like dock fishermen.

[djkimmel]

That's just for people standing on the docks...